CycleClips 31 January

ASA backs down on advert ruling; It's child's play in Glasgow; Xcalibre is launched; Peak District riders in 1978; Loved up on Strava; Be a pothole pioneer; Helping cycling in Carmarthenshire; London lorry ban; CTC Events Guide 2014

In less than two weeks, CTC’s Road Justice petition will be handed over to the Association of Chief Police Officers. The petition, which calls for improvements to roads policing in order to make cycling safer, has already been signed by 10,278 people. Please sign it now if you haven’t already done so. Thank you.

Julie Rand, CTC Information Team

Calm down, ASA, it's only a commercial

CTC was shocked by the news this week that the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) had ruled that all future television advertising must only show cyclists wearing helmets and riding near the kerb, after complaints about an advert made by Cycling Scotland. However, the ASA has now withdrawn its bizarre ruling, pending an independent review. In order to keep up the pressure on the ASA, CTC invites you to submit examples of other adverts featuring walking and cycling that could now be banned if the ruling is allowed to stand. Suggestions so far include the country’s favourite TV ad of all time, the classic Hovis baker's boy.

More top stories

It's child's play in Glasgow

We are delighted by the news that every four-year-old child in Glasgow will now learn to ride a bike before they go to school, thanks to a £230,000 grant from the People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund 2014. The money will go to Play on Wheels, a collaborative project between CTC, Play Scotland, Glasgow Bike Shed and Cycling Scotland.

Have you got the X factor?

CTC is pleased to announce our partnership with Xcalibre, Britain’s first ever televised off-road tour, which runs from 16-23 August 2014. There will be seven stages and three venues: the Brecon Beacons, Exmoor and Pembrokeshire National Parks. The two-person team event will test 500 riders across a range of MTB disciplines and costs £900 per person. Are YOU tough enough?

Back in the day...

Rather more genteel - and definitely falling foul of the ASA ruling - were the riders at the launch of the Peak District bike hire and trails in 1978. Flowing hair, sideburns, flares and even hot pants were the order of the day. The ATV filmed a group of riders on small-wheeled bikes tackling the routes, which were formed from a network of disused railway lines.

Loved up

The ride-logging website Strava attracts controversy from people who dislike the way it encourages riders compete with each other to complete the fastest ‘segments’. But a cyclist in San Francisco has used it for a rather more romantic purpose: to propose to his girlfriend. With Valentine’s Day coming up, please let us know of your romantic, cycling-related stories for a future feature.

Be a pothole pioneer

No, we’re not asking you to fill them yourself but to sign up and become a beta-tester of the new mobile app version of our pothole reporting website, FillThatHole. You should have an iPhone in order to take part. Thanks to funding from the Department for Transport, CTC is currently updating the site, upgrading the iPhone app and building an app for Android phones.

Do you want to improve cycling in Carmarthenshire?

With the Welsh Active Travel Bill passed in 2013, cycle campaigning in the country is stepping up a gear. CTC local campaigners Phil Snaith and Geoff Rone have set up a forum in the area, with the aim of making cycling a safer and more convenient way to travel. If you would like to support Phil and Geoff, come to a meeting on Monday 10 February at 7.15 in Llannerch Hall, Llanelli.

London lorry ban nearly here

CTC has welcomed the news that large vehicles which fail to meet high safety standards will be banned from London’s roads from as early as September. However, we believe there are better longer-term solutions for cycle safety that should be investigated too. Meanwhile bus drivers in Bristol are testing a warning device that alerts them to the presence of cyclists.

In the event of an event

From off-road rides to randonées to all-day mystery rides, CTC local groups organise hundreds of exciting events throughout the country every year. A list of them can now be downloaded from our website, with many more added throughout the year. Why not see if there’s something going on in your area this weekend? And make a note in your diary of all our national events in 2014.

Julie Rand has edited CycleClips since 2011 and has been working at CTC in various guises since 2001.